Aerosol actuator housing



1970 A. IANNACONE AEROSOL ACTUATOR HOUSING Filed Aug. 24, 1967 FIG.

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R Y OE E TN N NO R EC 0 V NA w I A United States Patent 3,534,890 AEROSOL ACTUATOR HOUSING Anthony Iannacone, Hawthorne, N.J., assignor to Fluid Chemical Company, Inc., Newark, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 663,061 Int. Cl. B6511 83/00 US. Cl. 222402.14 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for precise, controlled metering of an aerosol device, wherein the aerosol container is positioned in an elongated housing having a discharge aperture, with which the aerosol valve communicates, and is provided with a cap axially movably positioned in an opening in the housing, to thereby actuate the valve on movement of the container.

AEROSOL ACTUATOR HOUSING This invention relates to aerosol dispensing containers wherein the contents are dispensed, for example, on depressing a normally closed valve. Some of such valves are formed so that when thus depressed, they will discharge a measured dosage or quantity of the container contents. Such arrangements prove unsatisfactory for if the user wants only a fraction of the pre-set dosage, the valve will nevertheless continue to discharge, and if one wants just a fraction more than the pre-set dosage, a re-actuation of the valve will again cause the valve to operate for a full dosage.

In other cases, the valve continues to discharge the container contents while actuated but is either fully on or off-minute, precise control is not provided, and, in either case, the user is not provided with means for the simple, controlled metering of precise quantities, and terminable instantly at the users wish. Such control is desirable in many applications-for example, in oral applications of fresheners, wherein it would be awkward, inetficient, and even dangerous, to apply greater or lesser quantities than desired, or to use conventional metering arrangements.

The device of the invention enables the user to control discharge of an aerosol dispensing container to the minute, precise quantity desired, and to end discharge at precisely the fraction of a moment desired. These objectives are achieved, pursuant to the invention, by a device having novel structural features, below more particularly described, and exemplified in the accompanying drawings. r

The drawings, illustrating procedures and devices useful in carrying out the invention, and the description below, are exemplary only of the invention, which shall be deemed to cover all other devices and procedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal, partly sectional view of a device embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective, partly fragmentary, view of a key or follower ring for the housing,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of caps which may be used in carrying out the invention, said caps having cam tracks or keyways for engaging the keys or followers such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 5 is a schematic, enlarged, elevational view, of a further form of a portion of a cap which may be used in carrying out the invention, a follower being shown positioned in the cam keyway, having just passed, in an interference fit, through an entrance slot opening into the cam keyway on the cap.

Pursuant to the invention, an elongated housing 12 is provided for receiving an aerosol dispensing container 10 axially slidably therein, said housing having a discharge aperture or apertures 13 for discharge of the container contents on actuation of the container discharge by depression of the valve actuating stem 11. The opposite end 14 of the housing 12 is provided with an opening 15. A cap 16 is proportioned to be readily movably positioned in the open end 14 of the housing and against the container 10, in an arrangement such that actuation of the valve stem 11 may be precisely controlled by the user, for exact quantity and time metering and for cut off of discharge of the container contents To that end, cap 16 and housing 12 are provided with complementary means enabling the user to move the cap in precise, controlled, minute increments as desired for (thus metered) valve discharge actuation, and to terminate movement of the cap, and thus discharge of the container contents, precisely when desired. For that purpose, housing 12 and cap 16 may be provided with complementary pin, or follower, and cam or other complementary keying means. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, end cap 16 is provided having a cam keyway 17, for engagement with lugs or pins 18, which may be formed unitarily with housing 12 or secured thereto in any convenient or desired manner; the housing may be provided with two such keys at the end 15 thereof, spaced apart substantially Said lugs or keys may, as shown in FIG. 2, be formed on a ring 19 secured in the housing 12 at the lower end 14 thereof, as by forming a projection or rib 20 on ring 19 receivable frictionally in a complementary recess 21 in housing 12 (FIG. 1) or in any other desired or convenient manner. The ring is, in this arrangement, forced into the housing 12; said parts may be of plastic or other suitable material, to provide a slight yield and interengagement of the parts and other parts, described herein, may likewise be formed of such material. Ring 19 may be formed as a normally open, split ring (split at 26) which tends to expand when fitted in the housing.

The cam cap keyway 17 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of helical form; it may be of other forms, as, for example, a double cam track 170, shown in FIG. 4. In the form shown in FIG. 5 the cap 16 is provided with a slot 22 opening into the cam keyway 17 and preferably proportioned for interference engagement of the follower 18 therewith. In this form, the cap 16 may be positioned in the housing 12 by aligning slots 22 with the pins 18 and forcefitting the cap to the point of entrance of pins 18 into the keyway 17. The cap may be provided with a head 23 (FIG. 1) which may be knurled as shown at 24 to facilitate turning and handling.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the user may, by minute rotation of the cap 16, effectuate precise, controlled axial movement of the container, the valve stem 11, thus engaging a shouldered or other portion 25 of the interior of the housing communicating with discharge apertures 13 is depressed (11a, FIG. 1) and thus actuated for the time determined by the user. The parts may be proportioned so that the valve is actuated at the peak or crown of the cam track.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that I have provided a compact, efiicient, device for the purpose described; the entire assembly, including the aerosol dispensing container, is only slightly greater than the dimensions of the aerosol dispensing container alone.

In order to relieve pressure for certain applications such as, for example, inhalants, or in other uses, wherein it may be desired to avoid risk of unwanted back pressure, back vent apertures may be provided leading from the discharge area of the housing into the interior thereof. Such arrangement, for example, is shown in 'FIG. 1, wherein the housing is provided with one or more back vents 27 opening to the exterior 28 of the housing 12 adjacent discharge aperture 13 thereof and to the interior 29 thereof. The housing may be contoured at the discharge portion thereof to facilitate the intended use. For example, where it is to be adapted for use as an inhalent, the housing at the area 28 adjacent the discharge aperture 13, may be contoured for conformity with or for ready reception in the nasal passages.

While the foregoing disclosure of exemplary embodiments is made in accordance with the patent statutes, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, the inventive scope being defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for substantially reproducibly controlling discharge of the contents of an aerosol container having one end with a depressible valve stem for actuating the discharge of the container, and having an opposite end, the device comprising:

an elongated housing for axially slidably receiving the aerosol container therein, said housing having an aperture for discharge of the contents of the aerosol container released by depression of the valve stem, and

an open end,

means for axially moving the container relative to said housing while the valve stem remains stationary with respect to said housing thereby to depress the valve stem in controlled increments and control the discharge of the aerosol container, said means for moving comprising,

a cap rotatably mounted for 360 rotation in said open end of said elongated housing, said cap being axially movable against the opposite end of the aerosol container between a first axially outward position and a second axially inward position, and

complementary means formed partially in said opened end of said elongated housing and partially on said cap, and operative in a coacting manner between said cap and said open end for controlling the axial movement of said cap upon a predetermined amount of rotation thereof, said complementary means causing axial movement of said cap, during 360 rotation thereof, from said first axially outward position to said second axially inward position, and back to said first axially outward position.

2. A device for substantially reproducibly controlling discharge of the contents of an aerosol container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said complementary means comprises a circumferential cam key way provided in said cap, and

keying means in said open end of said elongated housing for complementary engagement therewith.

3. A device for substantially reproducibly controlling discharge of the contents of an aerosol container, as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said circumferential cam keyway is helical, and

said keying means comprises followers protruding inwardly of said housing and spaced substantially 180.

4. A device for substantially reproducibly controlling discharge of the contents of an aerosol container, as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said cap is further provided with an entrance slot opening into said cam keyway, and

said entrance slot and said cam keyway are proportioned so that said keying means is receivable in interference fit in said entrance slot and freely receivable in said cam keyway.

5. A device for substantially reproducibly controlling discharge of the contents of an aerosol container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said complementary means comprises a ring positioned in said elongated housing at said open end thereof,

a follower formed on said ring and extending inwardly of said elongated housing, and

a cam keyway formed in said cap for complementary engagement of said follower therewith.

6. A device for substantially reproducibly controlling discharge of the contents of an aerosol container, as set forth in claim 5, including complementary interfitting means on said ring and said elongated housing for positioning said ring in said housing, and wherein said ring is a split normally open ring.

7. A device for substantially reproducibly controlling discharge of the contents of an aerosol container having a movable valve stem for actuating the discharge of the aerosol container upon relative movement between the aerosol container and the valve stem, the device comprising:

an elongated housing for movably receiving the aerosol container therein, said housing having an aperture for discharge of the contents of the aerosol container released by relative movement between the aerosol container and the valve stem, and

a discharge control cap receiving opening.

means for moving the container relative to said housing while the valve stem remains stationary with respect to said housing, in controlled increments thereby to control the discharge of the aerosol container, said means for moving comprising,

a discharge control cap rotatably mounted, for

360 rotation in said discharge control cap receiving opening, said cap being generally translatably movable therein between a first outward position and a second inward position, the translating movement of said discharge control cap controlling the relative movement between the aerosol container and the valve stem, and

complementary means formed partially in said discharge control cap receiving opening and partially on said cap, and operative in a coacting manner between said cap and said receiving opening for controlling the translating movement of said cap upon a predetermined amount of rotation thereof, said complementary means causing movement of said cap, during 360 rotation thereof, from said first outward position to said second inward position, and back to said first outward position.

8. A device for substantially reproducibly controlling discharge of the contents of an aerosol container, as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

said complementary means comprises a circumferential cam keyway provided in said cap, and

keying means in said open end of said elongated housing for complementary engagement therewith.

9. A device for substantially reproducibly controlling discharge of the contents of an aerosol container, as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

said circumferential cam keyway is helical, and said keying means comprises followers protruding inwardly of said housing and spaced substantially 180.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Webb 251-254 Moore 20656 X Meshberg 222-162 Alsop 222-398 X 10 Seaver 20656 X Baker 401-110 6 Goos 401-110 X Darvie 222-183 Meshberg 222-183 X Meshberg 222-183 X Geisel 401-68 US. Cl. X.R. 

